inaugural halloween

We've never taken Charli trick or treating in a neighborhood before, probably just because we're too lazy. I don't think there was much going on right around our condo (for kids, I mean - there's a ton of stuff for adults), and certainly no one comes trick or treating at a condo... There were a lot of streets close by where they do trick or treating, but we just never went. Last year we went to Boo at the Zoo with Bella and Nina, and that was fun - especially since Charli had such an awesome costume! (Hm. I would have liked to link to last year's Halloween post right there, but I see we never put one up. We suck. I'll have to do something about that, a year late.)

Last year we moved into the new house right after Halloween - we closed on the house October 29 and moved in November 2. Brian happened to be around the house on Halloween night, and he said it was crazy! There really are a ton of kids in the neighborhood, and the vendors give out candy on Cortland Ave, and a lot of houses on the side streets do too. We are now one of them! Disappointingly for some of the older kids (but happily for many of the parents), we did not give out any candy. We gave instead stickers and tattoos and activities. I had 272 activities and 1200 stickers and tattoos, and we closed up when all we had left was about 100 stickers (not when the kids were done coming by). Zowie!

This is the pumpkin that Charli carved with Nina, sitting on one of the decorations that Brian made out of our plants. I don't know what the plants remains will look like after we take these apart...

Here's a bad picture of Bella's and Charli's costumes. Charli is refusing to wear her trunk, and you can see a little glimpse of Buster's dinosaur outfit. Nina did an awesome job on Bella's costume (Bella made her own hat), but she does that EVERY year. Isn't it more impressive how great Charli's costume turned out, because I suck at this stuff? Look at those ears!

Brian and Buster stayed at the house to give out candy. That's our bowl of stickers and tattoos early in the evening (we let the kids take several of these, and one activity).

Here's Charli enjoying her costume a little bit more, after Sam came to meet us. We had to bend her ears back because the street was so crowded they kept getting knocked off.

This is a side street past where Cortland is busy, and you can see it's still crowded (although not crowded enough to need bent back ears). Cortland itself is a zoo!

Here's a great costume we saw! There was also a dad who went as a TV, with a working screen that showed his face live - it was so cool!

Charli and Bella stood and looked at this guy for several minutes before slowly getting close enough to get candy from him. They were completely thrown off by the third hand!

Here's Buster's costume, courtesy of my mother! I rolled my eyes a bit when I saw it, but it is absolutely Adorable. I just love that tail! Unfortunately, the zipper pull broke off, so alas, it will get no more use, but it only needed to last for one night.

Enjoying the fruits of her labor